1
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
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3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
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4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
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1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
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2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddle
Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This muddle stems from a deeper conceptual problem.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Peterson's lawyers argued his role as an armed school resource officer did not amount to a caregiving post needed to prove child neglect in Florida, and that the response to the shooting was muddled by poor communication.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Trump is trying to turn that muddle into a single demand for cheaper, thirstier trucks.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
This muddle stems from a deeper conceptual problem.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
Although his company’s internal data showed a warming planet, Boone gave speeches, funded research, and sponsored lobbying and advertising campaigns to muddle the scientific consensus and delay regulatory action.
—Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Peterson's lawyers argued his role as an armed school resource officer did not amount to a caregiving post needed to prove child neglect in Florida, and that the response to the shooting was muddled by poor communication.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
-
Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Now the state, if not region, is in a daze.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
-
The morning after Maduro was captured, as the sun rose over the mountains at the edge of the city, people had stepped out of their homes in a daze.—
Armando Ledezma,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Thirty-one years after founding the Vans Warped Tour, the pop-punk patriarch is looking at the modern music industry with a mixture of confusion and frustration.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The result is not merely confusion about who is responsible but a gradual weakening of the expectations that make responsibility meaningful at all.—
Deb Roy,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What’s more, embroidered bedding is versatile for a variety of bedroom styles.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Short grain Arborio rice (the same variety used for risotto) is the ideal rice for this pudding because the grains are short and starchy; as the rice cooks, the starch transforms the milk and water into a thick, rich sauce.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The citizens of Texas are confusing hospitality for complacency.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
To give my permission to be sad, to be angry, to be confused.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Economic and religious activities disrupted by DHS Muslims in Minneapolis, estimated now to be more than 100,000, have lived in the city for well over a century, and the city has embraced them.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Her beau-to-be follows her into the fields and sneaks up on her, stumbling over a rock at the last possible moment, disrupting what might have been her first actual orgasm.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Specifically, the bench is a dysfunctional mess.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And now we’re stuck having to clean up this mess.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The scenes where Robert is together with Gladys and their young child have warm lighting or the haze of golden hour.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Youngblood wasn’t the type of Vegas gambler who quickly lost money amid a haze of champagne and neon lights.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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